


The Stories We Tell in the Dark

by Waterfall



Series: Tales From the Helsverse [3]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Fairytale Vibes, Gen, Helsverse Joe Hills, Helsverse ZombieCleo, Originally Posted on Tumblr, The Jhost, WitchCleo, an exercise in storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25654999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waterfall/pseuds/Waterfall
Summary: In the world of Hels there are many mysteries and an immeasurable amount of stories. Many of these are told about Cleo the Witch and her faithful companion, the Jhost.
Series: Tales From the Helsverse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796743
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: Froday Flash Fiction Little & Monthly Specials 2020, Froday Flash Fiction Regular Challenges 2019





	The Stories We Tell in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 42 – Occult  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge (Amnesty):** 19.20 – Immortality
> 
> I'm continuing my quest to elaborate on as many alternate versions of the Hermits as I can, one after the other. Considering how especially Joe lends himself to experiments with writing styles ~~and also how he's also kind of a cryptid~~ , this ended up with a strong fairytale vibe to it.
> 
> (If you want to, you can also find me on tumblr as [@yuracek](https://yuracek.tumblr.com). I mostly reblog Hermitcraft-related things, but sometimes there may be hedcanons and stuff.)

On the borders of the Hermit-controlled part of Hels lies a forest. Perpetually smouldering, and in some parts outright burning as a result of the hellish climate, it is known as the Black Forest. To the locals, however, it is simply the Haunted Forest. Step between the tall, ash-grey trees and you find yourself in the domain of Cleo the Witch, your every step stalked by her unnaturally animated minions, your every move watched by the ghosts and demons under her control. No-one knows for sure how long WitchCleo has lived in the forest, but even in this world filled of power-hungry schemers, violent fighters and unscrupulous scientists, there are few who are willing to find out. 

The stories are many but without evidence. Some say that WitchCleo is a zombie, resurrected many hundred years ago and heir to a mighty undead empire that dwells hidden within the forest. Others insist that she is a mere human who once ventured into the forest in search of immortality, committing unspeakable acts to achieve her goal. Most agree that she must have made a deal with a powerful demon, and point to her monstrous minions as their evidence. To live on the edge of the Haunted Forest is to live with the menacing presence of these creatures as they sneak into barns looking for rare materials, break into houses to steal whatever might be hard to get in the forest, and infiltrate pens in order to lead away the occasional animal. However, the locals seem less put out by this than one would expect, and even treat the minions with a wary respect. The reason is twofold – mostly a result of the diamond piles that appear as payment, a closely-held secret. It also lies hidden in the tales that grandparents tell to scare their grandchildren in the dark of night, in gruesome descriptions of mangled bodies and desperate screams that their _own_ grandparents (or so they say) witnessed first-hand. To treat the minions of WitchCleo well is to invite wealth, to do otherwise… well, no-one has felt the need to try for several generations.

In all the varied tales told about the witch of the Haunted Forest, however, there is one recurring detail – the presence of the Jhost, WitchCleo’s loyal companion. Some call him her servant, some her master, but there is never a story told about the one that does not feature the other. In stories for children the Jhost is the final obstacle in the hero’s quest to reach WitchCleo and get their wishes fulfilled; the wordsmith that must be tricked with clever rhyme, the puzzle master who tests their worth with devious riddles. In the stories of young men he is a powerful wither-king of old, commander of armies and conqueror of women, the true male power behind the easily manipulated witch, blinded by her desire for him. Young women tell stories of a sorcerer demon summoned from the deepest depths and bound to serve the witch by chains of love, their initial enmity ripened into a partnership of equals. And around the fire, elderly men and women share stories of a man as any other, ripped away from life by arrogance and excess, resurrected to a quest of discovery and knowledge.

Thus, the tales grow with their re-telling. With every shadow in the forest there are sightings to give new twists to well-worn plots; a minion in the underbrush, the Jhost looming behind the trees, the laughter of the witch herself ringing mockingly in the wind. And through it all the presence of the two makes itself known, spreading their tendrils of occult power and fear even further through the world of Hels and the lands of the Hermits.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Curses of the Queens](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183355) by [ChaiSocks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaiSocks/pseuds/ChaiSocks)




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